CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi on PM Narendra Modi biopic: It is yet to be certified

CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi on PM Narendra Modi biopic: It is yet to be certified

Prasoon Joshi, the chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) India says that PM Narendra Modi biopic is yet to be certified by the board. Starring Vivek Oberoi, the film was originally set to release on April 5.

HIGHLIGHTS

CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi has said the film is undergoing due process of examination and certification

Prasoon Joshi says the process to certify biopic on PM Narendra Modi is not complete

PM Narendra Modi biopic was originally set to release on April 12 but producers advanced it by a week

A few hours after producer Sandip Ssingh announced on Twitter that PM Narendra Modi biopic will not release on April 5, Prasoon Joshi, chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), has said that the film is undergoing due process of examination and certification.

"Since there are a lot of queries around the certification of the film, I would like to give a clear picture: the film is going through the due process of examination and certification according to the requisite guidelines and is yet to be certified as the process is not complete at this point," Joshi told PTI.

"This is to confirm, our film PM Narendra Modi'is not releasing on 5th April. Will update soon," Ssingh wrote on micro-blogging site.

The film, fronted by Vivek Oberoi and directed by Mary Kom maker Omung Kumar, has courted controversy with various political parties saying that releasing it less than a week before the general elections begin is a violation of the model code of conduct.

The Congress made a formal complaint to the Election Commission over the release of the film. Meanwhile, the Election Commission said it will take a final call on Friday on the release of the film.

"We have sought comments from the producer of the movie and also from BJP's general secretary... that have been received. The file is under examination and it has been listed for tomorrow (before the EC)," Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said in New Delhi.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, said the film would give undue advantage to the BJP in electioneering and its release should be deferred till the elections are over.

The project is also facing legal hurdles with a Congress leader filing a PIL in the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on its release. The court will hear the plea on Monday.

Lyricists Javed Akhtar and Sameer said they were credited without contributing to the project. The producer, however, countered their claims, saying their old songs were reworked so they gave credit where due.